Tilted Towers resists the yoke of imperial aggression as the British Army gives up on its Fortnite livestream plan

There are famously only 22 countries in the entire world that Britain has not invaded at some point during its history. But now you can add Fortnite to that list, as the British Army has given up its plan to hold a livestreamed competition later this week between influencer-led teams on its very own custom Fortnite map.

The plan, called Operation: Belong, was revealed last week in a rousing video showcasing a custom-made map that would serve as a battleground for influencers Yung Filly and Elz the Witch. All evidence of the video has since been deleted but the intent, to me, seemed pretty clear: «You there, youngster! Join the army!»

Text messages laid atop Fortnite gameplay drove the point home: «You belong here. Work as one. Test your agility. Unlock the enigma. Conquer obstacles. Apply your training.»

If you recall how things went when the US Army tried its hand at livestreaming (hint: not well), you can imagine what the reaction to the British Army's foray into Fortnite was like. Multiple comments on social media called it «wild Black Mirror shit,» «vile,» «immoral,» «sick in the head,» and other such things. Predictably, one person asked the British Army Jobs Twitter account, which had tweeted about the Fortnite plan, what its favorite war crime is. The army chose not to respond.

Epic Games declined to comment on the army-made map except to say that it was currently undergoing the standard moderation process. That could've proven tricky—among other things, Epic's rules say commercial content and sponsors must not «promote enrolment in the military»—but it's now a moot point, as the whole thing has been called off.

The British Army told PC Gamer that the map and livestreamed competition was merely intended to raise awareness of the military's role and values, and that it was not intended for children: The influencers taking part in the program have audiences that are largely 18 or older, and the army had also planned to incorporate an 18+ age restriction to